St Patrick’s Athletic 3
Cobh Ramblers 2
THE WHEELS MAY have come off St Patrick’s Athletic’s league season but they are still gunning for glory in both cup competitions after they advanced to the semi-final of the FAI Cup with a 3-2 win over Cobh Ramblers at Richmond Park.
Ramblers made the trip with the hope of piling on the misery in Inchicore after Pat’s disappointing home defeat to Bray on Tuesday.
But the extra guile in the final third was enough for the Saints as they came through the tie after goals from Christy Fagan, Jamie McGrath and Billy Dennehy eased the pressure on Liam Buckley’s shoulders.
Connor Ellis and Rob Lehane replied to make it a nervy last half hour for the 2014 Cup winners who just about held out.
Pats’ superiority was evident from the off as they completely controlled possession in the middle third. They had the ball in the net on nine minutes when Fagan’s cross was tapped in at the back post by Billy Dennehy but he was adjudged to have been offside.
The next one counted though as the home side took a deserved lead on the quarter hour mark. Sean Hoare was given time and space to pick out Fagan who got in between the Cobh central defensive partnership of Chris McCarthy and Kevin Mulcahy to head home at the near post for his 12th goal of the season.
The lead was doubled five minutes later as Jamie McGrath hammered home from close range. The clinical finish from the youngster came after a free-kick straight off the training ground as Dennehy played in O’Brien whose effort was blocked, with the rebound falling to McGrath who slammed home.
The gulf in class between the sides was clear to see with Ramblers struggling to break out of their own half. Pat’s were pressing high up which aided them in their third as Conan Byrne dispossessed Ian Mylod before the winger squared to the completely unmarked Dennehy who had the simple task of slotting past Paul Hunt.
In a rare foray forward, the First Division side nearly pulled one back as Mylod found Jonathan Creamer with a diagonal ball but the Cobh forward’s lob went just over.
Cobh looked a different side after the break as they made a double substitution with Ellis and Garry Comerford introduced with the switches paying off within three minutes.
After a ball over the top, Ellis was clumsily brought down in the box by Michael Barker before he took the spot kick himself and calmly slotted past Brendan Clarke.
Pat’s had become lackadaisical at the back and the Cork side pulled another one back just past the hour mark when a long throw in wasn’t dealt with by Barker allowing Lehane to race on to the through ball before slipping a left foot shot under Clarke.
The visitor’s second goal spurred Liam Buckley’s men back into action with Fagan having another goal ruled out for offside and Dennehy headed straight as Hunt when he ought to have done better.
Ramblers pushed for a late equaliser with a couple of anxious moments in the Pat’s box but they couldn’t find the goal they needed to force a replay.
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Brendan Clarke; Ger O’Brien (Rory Feely, 67), Michael Barker, Sean Hoare, Ian Bermingham; Lee Desmond, Graham Kelly, Billy Dennehy, Conan Byrne, Jamie McGrath (Jonathan Lunney, 40); Christy Fagan.
COBH RAMBLERS: Paul Hunt; Ian Mylod, Chris McCarthy, Ben O’Riordan, Kevin Mulcahy; Stephen Christopher (Garry Comerford, 46), Shane O’Connor, Eoin McGreevy (Kyle McNamara, 78), Charlie Fleming, Rob Lehane; Jonathan Creamer (Connor Ellis, 46).
Referee: Sean Grant
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